As school systems across the country continue to grapple with the grim consequences of shootings on their campuses, district and schools are pouring money into technologies meant to keep students safe—despite those systems’ flaws and limitations.
A new EdWeek Research Center survey sheds light on the kinds of tools K-12 administrators are betting on.
The top two tech-enabled security systems that schools are using are chemical and acoustic monitoring devices placed in bathrooms and locker rooms (31% of survey respondents said their districts or schools use them) and artificial intelligence-enabled security camera monitoring to detect threats or fights (25%), according to the nationally representative survey.
The other technologies used are passive screening systems that identify weapons without metal detectors (21%), digital/biometric locks that don’t require fobs or keys (17%), and wearable silent panic alarms for staff (19%).
The 753 participants in the online survey included 116 district leaders and 41 school principals. It was administered from March 25th through May 5th, 2026. Only district leaders and principals responded to the question about which security tools their districts and schools are using.
In 2022, EdWeek Market Brief reported that the U.S. school security market was projected to grow by more than 8%, an increase from the $3.1 billion that was spent the year before.
Technology is only one strategy available to school districts that are trying to bolster school safety. Research from the University of Colorado Boulder recommends four strategies to create safe school environments: Schools should create a specific team to assess safety strategies, administer climate surveys annually, implement multitiered systems to address student behavior, and be thoughtful about the selection of technology systems.
The tech options schools are rolling out include not only locks, alarms, and screening systems, but also drones.
Eight schools in Georgia and Florida have agreed to pilot the devices as a way to stave off an armed intruder. The drones are capable of emitting high-pitched chirping noises, shooting nonlethal pepper balls, and ramming into suspected attackers at high speeds, according to EdWeek reporting.
The rapid evolution of AI is reshaping school security strategies. Schools are making big investments in technologies that vendors say can detect medical emergencies, firearms, and fights. Other products market facial recognition technology as an option for schools.
Many critics have questioned whether schools should become reliant on technologies that are prone to mistakes. Last year, an AI system at a Maryland school reportedly mistook a student’s bad of chips for a firearm, leading the student to be handcuffed and forced to his knees. In another reported incident, an AI system misidentified a student’s clarinet as a weapon.
Respondents to the EdWeek Research Center survey were also asked to share a story or their perspective in writing about school safety and security and/or student transportation-related issues. Many respondents said school safety-oriented technology made them feel safer. But a lot of administrators and educators also pointed to student behavior as a major safety concern.
The written responses to the EdWeek open-ended survey question can be seen below. The responses have been edited lightly for length and clarity, and they include not only district and school leaders, but also teachers.
Detection systems can make some teachers feel safer
Every school should have a security officer and a metal detector just as all our airports and professional sporting events.
After 9/11 our district began locking doors, having more drills, and they came up with a flip chart to refer to during an emergency, etc. Now we have weapons detectors in the middle and high schools. They only detect guns, not knives. Teacher/staff badges are used to get into the building, and we swipe them for attendance. I feel somewhat safer.
We have implemented Evolv systems to help detect metal objects, including weapons such as guns, that may be brought into the school.
Other school strategies include cameras and see-through backpacks
We have gone to great measures to secure our school campuses with cameras and locked doors, etc. Even doors within the buildings are locked at all times requiring a key or fob.
We have improved our school safety a lot this year. There have been new cameras installed, we have a protective blackout film on all of our exterior windows to prevent anyone from seeing into the hallways and stairwells from the outside, and they have even installed cameras on the outside of the building and the long winding road that you must take to enter our campus.
Our school and district has increased security presence and cameras at our schools as well as more locked doors and gates. Our students are required to use clear backpacks. I am glad our school and district has increased secure initiatives to help make students and staff safer.
Some point to student behavior and staffing as the issue
Our board chose to stop employing police and adopted metal detectors and more security guards. The result has been greater cost to our district financially and no change in overall discipline event data. Teacher assaults have increased, but because there are no longer police in buildings the districts refuse to support filing a report or pressing charges.
School safety such as monitoring the door access and the video monitoring falls on our administrative assistants. If there was ever any actual threat, they are not trained or equipped to deal with it.
We have clear procedures in place—controlled entry points, visitor check-in systems, and regular safety drills—but the reality is that maintaining a truly secure environment goes beyond protocols. It depends heavily on staffing, consistency, and communication. One of the most pressing concerns is supervision and coverage. Like many schools, we often operate with limited personnel, which can make it difficult to monitor all areas effectively, especially during transitions such as arrival, dismissal, and class changes. These are the moments when safety risks are most likely to arise. Additionally, student behavior and social conflicts sometimes escalate quickly, requiring immediate and well-coordinated responses.
